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6 Self-Care Solutions for Busy Periods

As much as you love the trucking lifestyle, there are times when things feel overwhelming. This is usually during the busiest periods of the year when you’re expected to make long-haul shipments for as long as you can manage – and often even longer. 

6 Self-Care Solutions for Busy Periods mother trucker yoga blog gabriel santos

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Yet, this is arguably not the best attitude to have. For the inexperienced, it can quickly become too much. But, you’re a professional, and you’ll get to your destination if it’s the last thing you do. As much as your shipment is necessary, so is your health, which is why self-care is still vital, even during busy periods. 

Find Time to Exercise 

Finding time to exercise can be impossible if you’re on the road all day. You have a destination to reach, so you can’t take an hour off searching for a gym in one of the many small towns you travel through. 

 

But, waiting until you arrive at your destination isn’t ideal, either. You’re too tired and would much rather rest your weary bones. You can find other ways to exercise, mini yoga stretching sessions, and even just a few moves can make all the difference in your truck driver health. You can fit these moves in when you park for the day or first thing in the morning. It can be tricky to establish a routine, but once you do, you’ll feel much better. 

 

Learn to Switch Your Brain Off At Night 

Driving all day is exhausting, and most truckers don’t have a problem switching their brains off. But just because most truckers don’t doesn’t mean they all enjoy the luxury of a good night’s sleep. 

 

Failing to get enough sleep can be highly dangerous for you and others on the road. When it comes to taking care of your mental health on the street, everyone worth listening to recommends getting plenty of sleep, and this is only possible if you turn your brain off. Use something mindless or de-stressing to send you to sleep, and you’ll wake up refreshed. That de-stressing action can be reading a book, going for a walk, stretching, or even a few minutes of television can be helpful. Ensure you don’t overdo it on the electronics before bed, as they can leave you awake and make sleep even harder.

 

Get Concerns Looked At

Everyone will encounter health issues during their lifetime, but busy periods can make it difficult for truckers to see a doctor and focus on truck driver health. They might hope it isn’t severe and can get it looked at when they get back home, but that isn’t always possible. 

 

If you have health issues, attend to them as quickly as possible. A professional opinion can ease your stress, and the doctor can recommend treatment. You’re on the road; it’s easier to seek convenient solutions, such as scalp psoriasis natural remedies, rather than a long-term treatment that could disrupt your job. 

 

Accept When You Need a Break 

Too many truckers continue to drive even when they know they shouldn’t. This puts everyone at risk and can affect many more people than you initially expected. If you do not accept that you need a break, you should not be behind the wheel. 

 

The last thing you want to do is crash, so knowing that you need to stop, even if to stretch your legs and drink a coffee, will help you take better care of yourself. Many people don’t recognize the signs of burnout before it’s too late, so keep an eye on how you feel and take steps to prevent any severe issues.

 

Replace Your Bad Habits 

The cliche of smoking truckers is well known. Being on the road all day is dull, and smoking can help make the days go by faster. But, this is still no excuse to continue bad habits. 

 

Quitting smoking or other bad habits can be challenging, especially as they are so ingrained in your daily routine that it’s otherwise pretty uneventful. Many drivers use smoking to fill the downtime and to feel like they are doing something during those long hours on the road. Consider finding ways to replace bad habits with healthy alternatives, and give yourself a solid foundation to improve your self-care. Things like chewing gum, singing, deep breathing, and consider changing what you reach for the moment you wake up. If it’s a cigarette or vape pen, try to swap that action out for something positive to train your brain to reach for something else when you need that boost. 

 

Make Your Cabin Comfortable

You spend all day in your truck, so you may as well make it comfortable. Focusing on comfort and ergonomics can make a significant difference from your seat to your sleeping area, especially during the busiest periods of the year. 

 

You don’t need to master feng shui, but some cushions and supportive pillows can make plenty of difference. Once you make your cabin comfortable, everything else will fall into place, and you will find it much easier to take care of yourself no matter where the road takes you. 

Slowing Down 

You may not be able to slow down on the road, but that doesn’t mean you can’t slow down in how you treat yourself. Even the busiest periods have some downtime, so don’t ignore how effective some essential self-care can be. With yoga and a better understanding of what you need, you’ll be more productive than ever before. 

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Benefits of Meditation — And Simple Ways To Start Meditating

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When your profession demands for you to be on the road for the majority of the year, your physical and mental health can take a turn for the worst. As previously mentioned on the Mother Trucker Yoga blog, “while out on the road, movement can be limited and stress can be high.”

Thankfully, Mother Trucker Yoga has brought mobility and good health back in drivers’ lives. But if you would like to practice another stress-relieving method in addition to our easy workouts, consider adding meditation to your daily routine.

You might be asking yourself, why choose meditation? Can’t I just take deep breaths whenever I feel stressed? Though a post on Pain-Free Working indicates that simple breathing exercises could temporarily alleviate stress, practicing meditation strengthens the mind to cultivate inner peace and improve mental well-being in the long run.

The Benefits of Meditation

The benefits of meditation are limitless, and given the sedentary lifestyle of truckers, there’s a lot that can be gained. The road is long and lonely, and it can negatively affect your state of mind and physical health. However, with the help of meditation, truckers can get the job done while still taking care of their mind and body.

Based on scientific studies, here are the benefits of meditation, as shared by Healthline:

  • A good way to manage stress
  • Minimizes anxiety
  • Improves self-image and promotes a positive outlook on life
  • Increases self-awareness
  • Increases your attention span
  • May decrease age-related memory loss
  • Promotes kindness
  • May help battle addictions
  • Improves sleep
  • Helps manage pain
  • Can decrease blood pressure
  • Can be practiced anywhere

Different Forms of Meditation

Believe it or not, there are numerous forms of meditation; so if one form doesn’t work for you, there are still plenty to choose from. One of the more well-known forms is yoga meditation. The controlled breathing exercises and postures focus the mind on the practice and calm the mind, all the while promoting flexibility. Yoga is also a type of movement meditation, which is where you draw mindfulness from movement. Tai chi and martial arts also fall under this category. Spiritual meditation is often a huge part of Eastern spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. For religious meditations, this often involves prayers to divine power. For non-theistic traditions, self-awareness and self-actualization are the focal points of the meditation.

Another form is zen meditation. It can be part of Buddhist practice, where meditators must be mindful of their thoughts without judgment. At the same time, focus on their breathing and maintain a
comfortable position. According to Medical News Today, zen meditation requires more discipline and practice, and practitioners often prefer to study under a teacher, considering all the steps and postures that must be followed. With that in mind, this may not be the best meditation form for truckers. To see what other meditation forms could potentially work for you, check out this blog post on MindWorks.

Tips for Beginners

As straightforward as deep breaths in and out may seem, meditation is not as simple as you would think. But by starting off small and practicing every day, you’ll get the hang of it, and eventually, you’ll open your mind and body to new techniques.

To help you get started on meditating, here’s what you can do:

1. Designate one area, a comfy chair or cushion for meditation

Getting into the habit of meditating can be difficult; however, creating a small relaxing environment can help set you up for a successful practice, whether that’s just a chair in your living room or a cushion next to your bed. Cushions are definitely recommended for truckers since you can take them with you wherever you go. Eventually, you’ll have the ability to meditate anywhere, but for now, setting up the scene will help you get in the right headspace.

2. Start with just two minutes every morning

Before you go about your day, begin your morning with meditation. Doing it first thing in the morning will naturally become part of your daily routine, giving you a positive mindset to tackle the stressful drive ahead. As for the meditation itself, rather than following a specific type or technique right away, just spend two minutes listening to your own breathing. Take note of the movement of your body as you breathe in and out. When your mind wanders, and it will just bring your thoughts back to breathing. You could even count each breath. Do this for the first week or two, increasing to five minutes in the following, then possibly move on to guided meditations.

3. Stay connected with a meditation journal

A journal is a great way to track your progress, as your entries offer clarity and insight on how you might need to adjust your meditations and how far you’ve come since the beginning. Daily journaling gives an opportunity to reflect, gain perspective, and most importantly, be positive and kind to yourself. As for the entry format, it’s entirely up to you. It can be as simple as including the date, type of meditation, and comments on the practice, or you can use a guided format. With all these benefits and tips in mind, it’s clear that regular meditation is an easy way to achieve a good work-life balance, practice gratitude, and maintain a positive mindset as you trek across the country on your own.

 

4. Benefits of Meditation

If you are wondering how has meditation helped others? Check out Healthline’s benefits and stories from people just like you. And learn how meditation has impacted their lives. HERE

Article written by Mandy Rudd
Only for the use of mothertruckeryoga.com

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